Community Engagement – 2017

Presented to the BBCC Board of Trustees, March 13, 2017Prepared by the Office of Institutional Research & Planning

Valerie Parton, Dean of Institutional Research & PlanningStarr Bernhardt, Research Analyst

Student Success

BBCC Board of Trustees’ Ends Statements

E-1 MissionBBCC delivers lifelong learning through committment to student success, excellence in teaching and learning, and community engagement.

E-2 Student SuccessBBCC provides the diverse population of its entire district with access to opportunities, assists students in completion of their goals, and develops skills for lifelong learning.

E-3 Excellence in Teaching and LearningBBCC supports innovation, variety, and creativity; maintains high academic and industry standards; and supports professional development for continued growth.

E-4 Community EngagementBBCC supports economic development by nurturing community and industry partnerships and support to the college to enhance access and service to our district population.

E-5 Integrity and StewardshipBBCC acts as a responsible steward of resources by promoting accountability, sustainability, ethics and honesty, and prudent resource management to provide quality and affordable resources to the diverse population of our service district.

E-6 Inclusion and ClimateBBCC provides and maintains a climate of inclusiveness for students, employees, and partners by maintaining a safe learning environment and promoting cultural inclusiveness, understanding, and respect by embracing diversity, access, opportunity, and equity.

The BBCC Board of Trustees provides policy direction through the following Ends Statements derived from the college Mission. The Ends Statements are implemented

through the BBCC Academic Master Plan.

BBCC Core ThemesStudent Success

Excellence in Teaching and LearningCommunity Engagement

Mission StatementBig Bend Community College delivers lifelong learning through

commitment to student success, excellence in teaching and learning, and community engagement.

Front cover: The Big Bend Community College Runnin’ Vikes basketball team visited local elementary schools in Moses Lake this fall recruiting students and faculty to become part of the team’s “Character C.R.E.W.” The acronym, Choices, Respect, Excellence, and Will to win, represented the message the team was spreading to the local students about being a good person and having good character. The team handed out bracelets emblazoned with the mantra and had more than 1,000 students and faculty who joined the C.R.E.W. and promised to live by its message.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Objective 3.1 BBCC works with community and industry partners to support economic development 2

Objective 3.2 BBCC works with K-12 and university partners to provide educational opportunities 3

Objective 3.3 BBCC practices responsible use of resources, including fiscal and natural resources 5

Objective 3.4 BBCC provides an inclusive environment for students, employees, and partners in order to sustain a vibrant community 6

Conclusion 9

Summary Table of BBCC Faculty, Staff, and Trustee Feedback and Next Steps 2017 10

 

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Student-SuccessThree core themes comprise the Big Bend Community College Mission: Community Engagement, Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Student Success.

In 2016, BBCC began a continuous improvement cycle providing faculty, staff, and trustees with information that addressed each core theme objective and asked for confidential feedback on how well the college met the objectives and suggestions for improvement.

Trustee, faculty, and staff feedback on Community Engagement can be found at: https://port.bigbend.edu/employee/Institutional Research Planning/Community Engagement 2017_Ratings and Raw Comments.pdf.

This report reflects efforts in the second full cycle of continuous improvement.

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3.1a Inventory of active partnerships

The college enhances and expands educational opportunities through various partnerships, which allow the college to provide additional services and leverage resources for various programs. BBCC has approximately 130 ongoing partnerships. A complete list of these can be found online at http://www.bigbend.edu/wp-content/uploads/information-center/institutional-research-planning/Community-Engagement-Report-2016_FINAL.pdf (p. 13-30).

New educational partnerships

• AmeriCorps (Basic Skills)• Quincy data centers (Computer Science)• Quincy School District (Basic Skills)• University of Idaho (Agriculture)• Warden School District (Basic Skills)• Washington State University (Agriculture)

3.1b Report on economic impact

Center for Business and Industry

Contracts through the Center for Business and Industry Services (CBIS) grew in 2015-16. The award value more than quadrupled from 2014-15 to 2015-16 – nearly a $600,000 increase (shown in table below).

CBIS partnerships in 2015-16 included: Samaritan Healthcare, REC Silicon, TAKATA, Lineage Logistics, Moses Lake Industries, AMWAY, Federal Aviation Administration, Community Education, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF).

Objective 3.1BBCC works with community and industry

partners to support economic development

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Objective 3.2BBCC works with K-12 and university partners

to provide educational opportunities3.2a Inventory of current dual-credit programs

BBCC offers dual-credit programs to high school students through Running Start, College in the High School, and Tech Prep Programs of Study. Dual-credit programs are an area for potential growth as BBCC develops opportunities for the availability and use of dual enrollment credits.

Running Start

Running Start enrollments have increased 66 percent over the past three years (see chart below) and are projected to continue to grow.

Of the 226 Running Start students in 2013-14, nearly half returned as non-Running Start students and 64 percent completed a certificate or degree within three years of enrolling (by 2015-16).

Developing a closer relationship with K-12 partners would increase the knowledge of the Running Start program, the ease of transition from high school to college coursework, and the success of Running Start students.

College in the High School

College in the High School courses provide students with advanced study and college credit options while remaining enrolled in their local high school.This program is currently offered only in Ephrata. It provides students with the opportunity to earn college credits with no personal cost and is supported by the high school counselors, teachers, and administrators. The number of course sections and enrollment through this program at Ephrata High School is shown in the graph below.

BBCC Workforce Education is working with CBTech to develop additional College in the High School agreements.

Tech Prep Programs of Study

Tech Prep Programs of Study is a dual-credit program connecting high school students to college technical AAS degrees. High school students can start a two-year professional-technical degree without leaving their high schools. Programs of Study credits are posted to permanent BBCC transcripts and may be used for many of the college’s professional-technical programs or as elective credits.

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One hundred and eighty-seven students earned Programs of Study credits from 2010-11 through 2015-16 (see chart below). Overall, six students earned a certificate or degree in the area/program in which they earned Programs of Study credits. These were in Business (1), Business Information Management (1), Pre-Nursing (1), and Welding (3).

3.2b Analysis of partnership opportunities

Basic Skills Partnerships

New Basic Skills partnerships, promotion of courses with current partners, and expanding math transition support, allowed for five new course sections and 227 additional students to be served in Basic Skills over the prior year. Basic Skills annualized full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollments increased 33 percent from 2014-15 to 2015-16 (see chart below).

New BBCC Basic Skills partnerships in 2016-17 include Warden School District, Quincy School District, and Americorps. These join existing partnerships with SkillSource of Moses Lake, Othello School District, Royal

City School District, Mattawa Inspire Development Center, and Soap Lake School District, allowing Basic Skills courses, citizenship classes, high school completion programs, and English as a Second Language programs to reach the various communities in our 4,600-square-mile service district.

There are plans to expand partnerships in Mattawa, George, and with area employers. These partnerships

allow BBCC Basic Skills to deliver instruction to help students achieve their dreams of college and career readiness.

Workforce Education

The Computer Science program, in collaboration with the data centers in Quincy, is working to develop both a certificate and a degree that is geared toward the Data Center Technician positions that are currently in demand. The new Title III STEM grant includes these as objectives and will build on work already started.

The state has adopted a Computer Science transfer degree (DTA MRP). BBCC will offer this degree as soon as it is adopted through the college’s internal processes. This Compter Science DTA MRP will meet one objective of the new Title III STEM grant, an AAS-T with specific articulation with CWU.

The Agriculture AAS-T has been updated and is now articulated with Washington State University and the University of Idaho. The program continues to work with its new advisory committee to develop and expand the AAS program offerings to better meet industry need.

A Mechatronics certificate program has been submitted to the state for approval. This program will allow a student to stop out at the certificate and/or continue on to an AAS-T to transfer to a baccalaureate institution.

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Objective 3.3BBCC practices responsible use of resources,

including fiscal and natural resources3.3a Budget process is tied to strategic goals

The budget process for the 2016-17 fiscal year was basically the same as it was in 2015-16, with a few modifications to streamline the process:

• Updated budget account coding to align with the National Association of Colleges and Universities Business Officers program index codes, as adopted by the Washington State Community and Technical College system

• Streamlined budget account coding to use the same 4-digit organization code in each area for full-time faculty, part-time faculty, and any fees attached to classes (previously, these each had a unique organization code) and identified the differences by the currently used sub-object codes, program indexes, and funds, allowing staff to see everything in their budget(s) for one area by searching by one 4-digit organization code instead of by many

• Combined separate budget ‘holding’ accounts to reduce the number of places budget was held in reserve for estimated expenditure needs (unknowns such as sick leave/annual leave/unemployment)

• Identified contingency accounts versus reserve accounts

• Moved accounts to accurately reflect funding source and type

• Repurposed the Vice President for Finance & Administration’s Administrative Assistant position into a Budget Analyst position

3.3b Inventory of sustainable practices is increasing

New Sustainable Practices

• Reduced the number of FAX machines and dedicated phone lines used for faxing services across campus.

• Reviewed usage of college-owned cell phones among staff to reduce monthly fees on unused services.

• Hired a consolidated shredding service with securely locked collection bins on campus to save staff time previously needed to shred sensitive documents.

Professional Technical Education Center (PTEC)

The new PTEC building will be built as a green building, aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council’s committment to sustainable structures through a third-party verification system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is the most widely used third-party verification system for green buildings throughout the world.

Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several areas that address sustainability issues. Based on the number of points achieved, a project receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Washington State requires that all new building projects meet a minimum Silver LEED rating.

LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They use less water and energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save money. As BBCC designs the new PTEC building, we will work to meet the required LEED Silver rating (at a minimum), while ultimately hoping to attain a Gold level rating.

Objective 3.4BBCC provides an inclusive environment for

students, employees, and partners in order to sustain a vibrant community

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3.4a Training opportunities increase multicultural awareness and ability

In 2016, a variety of diversity training opportunities were offered to BBCC faculty and staff. The titles and number of attendees of each are listed in the table below. The purpose of the Blindspot trainings was to increase awareness of issues related to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Assessment is needed to determine if these training activities accomplished the goal of increasing multicultural understanding amongst faculty and staff.

Multicultural Development Team

The Multicultural Development Team (MDT) continues work toward its mission of promoting equity and inclusion through education, leadership, collaboration, and advocating social justice.

The MDT is in the process of selecting an environmental scan focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion. An environmental scan is an assessment tool used to gather information from each individual in the campus community to help the college identify challenges, strengths, and weaknesses related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Information gathered through the environmental scan will be used to create and integrate an action plan to create a more inclusive and culturally competent campus climate.

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3.4b Students, employees, and partners report feeling welcome on campus

Spring Enrollment Survey Results

The annual Spring Enrollment Survey is administed during spring quarter when most students have had at least one quarter to experience programs and services at the college. All students are invited to respond to the survey and provide feedback on their experience with college faculty, staff, educational programs, services, and facilities. In 2016, 236 students responded to this survey.

Although 90 percent of students felt very much or quite a bit welcomed on campus, there was a significant (Chi-square, p < .05) gap between Latino and white students in this category (see chart below). The increase in white students feeling welcomed from 2014 to 2016 was significant; however, the decrease in Latino students’ feeling welcomed was not (Chi-square, p < .05). These findings indicate that the gap between white and Latino responses in 2016 is due to the increase in white students feeling more welcomed on campus, not that Latino students feel less welcomed.

These same students were asked how much they felt their cultural background is accepted on campus. From 2014 to 2016, there was a significant increase in Latino students feeling that their cultural background was accepted, but the increase in white students feeling the same way was not significant (Chi-square, p < .05). In both 2014 and 2016, Latino students rated this significantly higher than white students (Chi-square, p < .05, see chart below).

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When asked about the quality of relationships with other groups on campus, the majority of students reported high quality relationships with all groups (see charts at right). Students were asked to rate these relationships based on a 5-point scale (excellent, 5, to poor, 1). There were no statistically significant differences between Latino and white students’ ratings, indicating high quality relationships over time and across groups.

Former Student Surveys Results

Former student surveys indicate that the majority of former students felt BBCC coursework improved their ability to work with diverse people. Slightly lower, were ratings on their ability to accept and respect cultural differences (see chart below).

3.4c. Data is disaggregated to show equivalent success for all student groups.

This data will be reported in the Student Success report in fall of 2017.

Conclusion

In the 2015-16 Mission Fulfillment Cycle, monitoring reports were prepared throughout the year on BBCC’s Core Themes of Community Engagement, Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Student Success. Trustees, faculty, and staff were invited to assess the college’s movement towards improving community engagement and BBCC processes that were developed to support students, community partners, and employees.

Feedback from the campus community and our accreditation evaluators has resulted in a more efficient method of gathering feedback, disseminating the results, and determining next steps. In addition, the college has demonstrated improvement in its ability to develop short and long-term goals that support each objective and, ultimately, mission and vision fulfillment.

The rubric below was used to rate progress on each objective and provide a corresponding KPI (below) for continued assessment. The table on pages 10-11 is a summary of results and next steps resulting from this process.

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BBCC Faculty, Staff, and Trustee Feedback and Next Steps 2017

KEY Indicates progress from previous year • Ideas from previous year Emerging ideas in 2017 Next Steps

Community Engagement Outcome: BBCC supports economic development, nurtures community and industry partnerships, and acts as a responsible steward of resources.

Objective 3.1 BBCC works with community and industry partners to support economic development

3.89

How can BBCC nurture current and future partnerships to expand and enhance economic development? • Continue ongoing outreach and marketing efforts directed at innovative partnerships • Connect workforce programs and students with business and industry to ensure students have required

workforce skills for local jobs Maintain excellent training to local businesses through CBIS Maintain enhanced connections that have been made in Adams County and in Ephrata and Quincy

Next Steps Increase and strengthen partnerships with WorkSource, SkillSource, Veterans Services, Grant Integrated Services,

Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Job Corps, Opportunity Industrialization Center, Adams and Grant counties’ economic development groups, and Othello school district to offset reduced Jobs Skills Program grant funding that would otherwise result in few training opportunities

Offer or facilitate professional development in the following areas: EMT Testing, Electrician’s continuing education units, Flagging, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, Pesticide Applicator certification, and state mandated Suicide Training for clinicians

Develop a transitional pre-employment summer program for students aged 14-21 Analyze advisory committee recommendations to determine how workforce educational programs can better

prepare students for the job market Pursue partnerships with Laerdal and Swedish Hospital for Medical Simulation Technology training and possible

trainers Objective 3.2 BBCC works with K-12 and university partners to provide educational opportunities

3.63

Identify areas where BBCC could develop K-12 and university pathways to create seamless educational opportunities or transitions. • University Partners:

o Form partnerships to bring needed baccalaureate options to Moses Lake o Create new major-specific transfer agreements to help students transfer

• K-12 Partners: o Develop consistent contact and collaboration with districts on schedules and on BBCC course

offerings o Provide faculty, staff, and Running Start students opportunities to better understand Running Start

regulations, rules, and college expectations o Expand College in the High School and maintain college standards o Market and expand Workforce education opportunities for high school students

Pathways Advising: o Align curriculum from K-12 to BBCC to prepare students for college-level work o Adopt intrusive advising to help students select a pathway with a clear end goal so unnecessary

classes are not taken and students seamlessly transfer into 4-year majors

Next Steps Expand Ephrata’s College in the High School Program to include medical terminology, biology, and college math Pursue College in the High School with Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center for Medical Simulation Technology

classes

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Continue to hold conversations and visitations with CWU staff to expand area baccalaureate opportunities Increase WSU’s visibility in the University Center to expand area baccalaureate opportunities Create a Computer Science Direct Transfer Agreement with CWU Work with CWU, EWU, and WSU to develop and validate advising maps Develop consistent contact and collaboration with service district schools on Running Start to further understand

any issues and share information; make updates to Running Start Information Nights Partner with UW, YVCC, CBC and others in a Healthcare Career Fair on March 4, 2017, targeted at high school

students Pilot the Open Door Program with Ephrata High School, which targets high school age students who have dropped

out; possibly expand to other schools in the future Increase academic IBEST opportunities

Objective 3.3 BBCC practices responsible use of resources, including fiscal and natural resources

3.38

How could BBCC improve its use of resources? • Tie the budget planning process to strategic initiatives • Expand recycling across campus, green energy use, and sustainability Pursue ongoing efforts to discover innovative processes to reduce redundancy and increase efficiencies

Next Steps

Strengthen current recycling efforts to include additional stations and new signage Expand recycling efforts on campus to include yard waste composting Begin establishing benchmarks with other colleges’ sustainability programs Revise the existing work order process for M&O employees and incorporate electronic devices to reduce paper and

improve efficiencies Determine feasibility of expanding the capability of Neogov, the new online application software, to further reduce

the use of paper in the recruitment process Reactivate the Budget Review Task Force and solicit participation from all employee groups to inform the annual

budget building process Objective 3.4 BBCC provides an inclusive environment for students, employees, and partners in order to sustain a vibrant

community

3.52

How can faculty and staff work to create an inclusive environment for students, employees, and partners? • Continue diversification efforts in ASB and athletics to include students of color, religious backgrounds,

and sexual orientation • Continue diverse hiring practices to diversify our staff • Continue trainings that reach all staff; encourage attendance Assess whether the trainings increased multi-cultural awareness and ability Create diverse committees so knowledge and ideas from many are considered Work together as a united campus to address needs and gather ideas from all staff

Next Steps Conduct an environmental scan during fall quarter 2017; the Multicultural Development Team will recommend to

the Executive Team a vendor/tool Share the photos and stories of transforming lives nominees in a variety of methods across the campus and in our

service district to show greater success among students with diverse backgrounds Use Neogov analytics to determine if different steps in the recruitment and selection process have a disparate

impact on applicants of protected classes

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